Plaid fabric has not lost its relevance for several centuries. The name most definitely indicates the country of origin. She also has a second name - tartan, which immediately refers us to the era of historical novels and films, when the cell was a kind of passport and the unchanging heritage of every resident of Scotland.
History
The Scots have been able to produce checkered wool fabric for more than two millennia. The origin of the word “tartan” is explained in different ways, sometimes it is associated with the Old French word “fabric”, sometimes with the Gaelic expressions “color of the area” and “crosswise”.
The colors and complexity of the pattern used to directly speak about the status of a person. The poor wore plain dark clothing, and the royal tartan consisted of seven flowers. Sheep wool was dyed with natural dyes made from plants. Saturated blue, green, red colors could afford only representatives of the upper class. Bright shades were mainly characteristic of military and formal wear, and restrained tones - for hunting suits.
Over time, the tissue of the plaid cell became a sign of generic affiliation. In those days, clothes from such a fabric were mainly worn by men, and now the famous kilt is known all over the world. It represents a peculiar combination of a wrap skirt and a raincoat. Over time, checkered fabrics for women appeared - lighter and less contrasting.
In the mid-18th century, Scotch fabric, associated with the Jacobite rebellion, was banned. The revival of Scottish traditions took place in the 19th century and was associated with the meeting of King Edward IV with the writer Walter Scott. Tartan, symbolizing romanticism and love of freedom, spread throughout old Europe. Over time, like other woolen fabrics, the tartan became a very popular material for everyday clothes, and later uniform dresses for high school students began to be sewn from it.
Tartan today
Nowadays, woolen fabric in a cage is created according to the same principle as many years ago. On the loom is a set of dyed yarns, they are intertwined first in a straight line, and then in the reverse order. So the main feature is formed - diagonal symmetry. Thanks to this, tartan looks very nice when cutting along an oblique.
There is a worldwide registry of Scottish tartans, which today has 3,300 patterns and is no longer updated. There is also the Scottish Register, which already includes 6000 varieties. All new patterns are registered in it. By the way, not only woolen fabrics, but also cotton, artificial and mixed ones can fall into the category of “plaid”.
Tartan fabric is also classified by density, it is measured in ounces per yard 2 .
Fashion Box
Tartan has become a fashion classic. From it sew coats, suits, dresses in different styles:
- casual;
- office;
- urban
- preppy;
- vintage and others
Representatives of various subcultures also loved this pattern , from punks and emos to fans of the Japanese street style Koh Gal.
Plaid fabric was also loved by designers. The Burberry erected a black-and-white-sand combination with a red thread simply into a cult. And the favorite pattern of ancient kings, consisting of red-blue cells, is today known to the world under the name “Royal Stuart” and is again at the peak of popularity.